Jun 19, 2014
The anime industry is plagued with generic harems and bad writing. But occasionally a series will appear that stands out. A diamond in the rough. Ping Pong is one of these series.
The story of Ping Pong is, on the surface, about ping pong. However, dig a little deeper and you will find a fantastic series about growing up. The series focuses on themes such as insecurity, anxiety and most notably, courage. These themes are explored to the fullest with seemingly insignificant scenes such as those featuring The Hero becoming increasingly relevant as the series progresses. This is not to say ping pong isn't relevant
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to the story, the competitiveness of the sport plays a large part throughout the series and is sure to appeal to any spots fan. It's the kind of show that requires your full attention. Seemingly minuscule and irrelevant events are important to the overall delivery of the series. These can include the speech of background characters or even the backgrounds. The story is paced exceptionally well with the exception of the last episode which as a manga reader I felt was dragged out and features too many flashbacks. Overall, the story is solid. There are lots of interesting themes that are handled very well throughout the series and the pacing is very good.
The art of Ping Pong can be a bit off-putting, but after just one episode it will begin to grow on you. It's unique, and that's a good thing. It makes the series feel very mature (not to say the series isn't) as the art is more realistic than most modern anime. The animation is incredibly fluid. There are some shots of Ping Pong bats that look absolutely fantastic . There are a few scenes with noticeable budget drops, however, and these become increasingly common as the series progresses. Overall, very good animation and art.
The OST of Ping Pong is excellent. Every track fits its purpose well. The OST makes the matches feel very tense and overall very interesting. The OP is very fitting with the lyrics reflecting some of the major themes of the series and the genre fitting the tone of the series as a whole. My personal favourite is the ED, which I feel is excellent. It suits the atmosphere of the series and leaves you wanting more. The voice actors are fitting, particularly Katayama Fukujurou (Peco) and Uchiyama Kouki (Smile). I felt their performances were very good. My praise also goes to Yousei Bun (Wenge Kong) for his performance in Chinese, it's rare not to see anime butcher foreign languages and it was nice of the studio to hire an actual Chinese voice actor for the role.
The characters in Ping Pong are the best part, in my opinion. They are developed extremely well. I feel Peco's development was handled brilliantly and gives the viewer and in-depth look into his mind and ideologies alongside his emotions. This is not to say other characters are done badly, Smile, Sakuma, Kong and Kazama all receive incredible growth throughout the series and are for the most part likeable. The transition between Kong's initial arrogance and later his kindness was done beautifully. There is not a single pointless character, they all exist for a reason. Even the seemingly insignificant speech of the background characters is important. There's not a single undeveloped character and for this reason, I believe the characters are the best part of Ping Pong.
Ping Pong is a very enjoyable series. Every episode leaves you wanting more. The series makes you feel a range of emotions from pity to happiness. It was a very fun series to watch.
Ping Pong is an excellent series, a must-see for all anime fans. The themes, the characters, the music; everything is brilliant. I believe the anime to be better than the manga, and by choosing the manga you would be missing out. The series does require the full attention of the viewer however, and for this reason it's not the easiest to marathon because there's a lot to take in. Otherwise though, it's one of the best series of 2014 at the time of writing.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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